I have a DBird in drop C. It has D'Addario nickels on it that are good but will be switching to Payson stainless steels soon. I put some SS Payson's on my Combustion 5 and love them.
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Dingwall Owners Club
- Thread starter FroggyOne2
- Start date
DO NOT GIVE KALIUM YOUR MONEY.
I feel like I post this every time someone suggests Kalium strings. They have a long history of incredibly bad customer service. Orders placed and not shipped for weeks until you reach out ask where your strings are. Anyone who actually has their orders shipped in a timely fashion are an exception to this rule.
@chanson Jason at FretNation will be able to tell you every string that will fit your bass. It’s easier to find off the shelf strings that work on 4 string Dingwalls.
Another vote for Jason at Fretnation. I've been buying string off him for years and just bought my NG3 from him.
I brought the Z into the house from the 10x20 music room in the backyard so I can play it a few minutes, unplugged, here and there. So, now I am thinking about buying an ADAM just to have something in the house that I can plug headphones in & jam. How silly is that, I put that building up back there so I had a place to play.
I know this is still super honeymoon phase but DAMN. I have owned high end basses (Alembic, Wal, other Canadian Dingwalls, etc) but I haven't ever connected with a bass in the same way before. With the the Wal and Alembics, I appreciated elements a lot, the sound/electronics flexibility but maybe the neck wasn't my favorite, etc. This Z is the total package, for me - I think about playing it in a lot of different ways - it's neck, the feel of the satin body and the sound.
I know this is still super honeymoon phase but DAMN. I have owned high end basses (Alembic, Wal, other Canadian Dingwalls, etc) but I haven't ever connected with a bass in the same way before. With the the Wal and Alembics, I appreciated elements a lot, the sound/electronics flexibility but maybe the neck wasn't my favorite, etc. This Z is the total package, for me - I think about playing it in a lot of different ways - it's neck, the feel of the satin body and the sound.
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So that "very first 6 string Dingwall" is listed on Facebook already. They're asking $3300 which I think is a bit of a bump up from the reverb listing. Kind of wish I had picked it up then and gave it a forever home instead of seeing it flipped.
IvanBassist
Commercial User
- Jun 8, 2008
- 3,743
- 11,118
- Disclosures
- Content Manager at Darkglass Electronics, Dingwall Guitars Artist
This is true, and a big fat f(*#%$g bummer, because they make great strings and their variety of gauges is unparalleled (pun intended).
The second time I tried to order strings from them, I ordered 2 months before I needed the strings, and still didn't get them in time.
Caveat emptor.
Re: Kalium. Take this with a grain of salt cos I (at least used to, haven't talked to him in ~2 years) considered Skip a friend.
It is frustrating that the've gone so downhill, but, I have to echo the warning to be very mindful if you decide to order through them. You WILL want to follow up, often, about your order. Even if a shipping label is created, still keep a close eye on it and email/call frequently until the carrier actually has them in their hand. And pray you receive exactly what you order (my final order went smooth-ish, when I'd email every 2-3 days, but, I received two wrong gauges and never found resolution).
It is unfortunate, too. You see clear as day the endoresees and artists get their strings extremely quickly, so "VIPs" get taken care of. I think Dingwall does, or at least did use their strings as well. But things started going downhill around the time Skip moved and somewhere along the lines lost Chris as well. Seems things haven't really been the same since then, and while I really, REALLY want his business to recover and succeed (especially given how my usual 2nd choice in strings is no longer someone I will support due to personal reasons), it's going to take a lot of effort to get things back. Once they do, I'll be in line with orders, but, for now, I'm "just" using Dingwall strings. But, I truly enjoy using Dingwall strings as well, so, it's not really an issue
It is frustrating that the've gone so downhill, but, I have to echo the warning to be very mindful if you decide to order through them. You WILL want to follow up, often, about your order. Even if a shipping label is created, still keep a close eye on it and email/call frequently until the carrier actually has them in their hand. And pray you receive exactly what you order (my final order went smooth-ish, when I'd email every 2-3 days, but, I received two wrong gauges and never found resolution).
It is unfortunate, too. You see clear as day the endoresees and artists get their strings extremely quickly, so "VIPs" get taken care of. I think Dingwall does, or at least did use their strings as well. But things started going downhill around the time Skip moved and somewhere along the lines lost Chris as well. Seems things haven't really been the same since then, and while I really, REALLY want his business to recover and succeed (especially given how my usual 2nd choice in strings is no longer someone I will support due to personal reasons), it's going to take a lot of effort to get things back. Once they do, I'll be in line with orders, but, for now, I'm "just" using Dingwall strings. But, I truly enjoy using Dingwall strings as well, so, it's not really an issue
Wasn't it for sale for ~$3000 on Reverb? Add tax and shipping and I bet the seller paid $3300 so I am guessing it really isn't a flip for profit.
Same here to all of this.
Really hoping they turn things around but I don't have bandwidth to deal with situations like I've been hearing about.
Luckily I scored a bunch of unused Dingwall sets from a local guy who switched to NewTone.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Yep. Still have a friend who ordered one of his basses...out a few grand and a few years later there's still no bass.
At $3300, I was just desperately hoping for a miracle, and that it would make it until the 1st. I see it up to $3800, and just don’t think I can swing that. Maybe…but we’ll see.
BurningSkies
CRAZY BALDHEAD
- Feb 20, 2005
- 27,956
- 20,348
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Dingwall Guitars
Hasn't this one gone through a few sets of hands recently? Anytime that goes on, I get concerned that there's some issues/reasons that people aren't keeping it for more than a week or two. I'd really want hands on before I put money on it. I'd consider it a bullet dodged unless someone confirms that there's another reason it keeps movin'.
I only saw the reverb listing, and it now listed on facebook. I don't recall it showing up before this, at least not recently.
I have an NG-3 4-string that I leave in Drop C. I use DR DDT-55 strings and love them. I also recommend Jason at Fret Nation.
--jack
First off, can of worms opened but not intended, I guess I am one of those exceptions that are satisfied. Second, Skip is truly a nice guy and obviously went through some stuff, which leads to my question: how could his business ever recover if everyone is told to never go that route? Posts here on TB, once indexed by web crawlers, are around essentially for an eternity in one form or another. Cautionary tales with facts should give people the background for an educated decision.
This is welcome news to me, not a can of worms. Just curious, how recent were your orders and how quickly were they fulfilled?
I would totally order from him again, I just really don’t have time to do follow up. If I hear enough people reporting positive experiences by the next time I need strings I will certainly give him another shot.
Well, he could own up to his behavior, perhaps apologize. But no. He has never once offered any sort of public explanation for why his business practice sucks so much. He could pretty easily go into his email and contact the dozens and dozens of customers he previously allowed to get effed over and apologize.
FretNation and Payson both have solid customer service and a huge variety of strings that will suit Dingwalls.
I liked the Circle K strings, but had the same issues so many folks have reported. Any “special sauce” the balanced sets brought tasted like it had gone bad during the long wait.
With the pandemic, even Jason has had supply issues, but communication was clear and friendly. I knew up front if there was going to be a delay, and was offered refunds if I didn’t want to wait.
Jason helped me assemble the sets I wanted and had plenty of individual strings available.
Payson can help you mix and match his strings to fine tune what you are after.
I liked the Circle K strings, but had the same issues so many folks have reported. Any “special sauce” the balanced sets brought tasted like it had gone bad during the long wait.
With the pandemic, even Jason has had supply issues, but communication was clear and friendly. I knew up front if there was going to be a delay, and was offered refunds if I didn’t want to wait.
Jason helped me assemble the sets I wanted and had plenty of individual strings available.
Payson can help you mix and match his strings to fine tune what you are after.
